Privacy

In today's world, social media is a big part of a lot of peoples everyday lives. Taking pictures is a major factor in that. Whether it's snapping a picture of yourself to your friends, taking a group photo and posting it on your Instagram story, or sharing a video on TikTok.  Although we do not think too much of it, you really never know where your face could end up.  Juan Enriquez and Catherine Crump emphasize the importance of protecting your online presence. 

In a TedTalk I watched called "Your Online Life, Permanent as a tattoo" Juan Enriquez explains how your online presence can be a permanent imprint on the internet.  Anything you post or share on the Internet is permanent no matter how many times you try to erase or delete it. This is why Juan refers to these posts as "electronic tattoos".  Posting on social media isn't the only thing you have to worry about. Juan emphasized the advancement on technology and facial recognition is becoming more in use, and can affect your jobs and future.  Make sure you are careful what you post. 

Catherine Crump explains in her TedTalk how police are using advanced surveillance technology, like license plate readers and cell phone trackers, to collect information on people’s movements and activities. Even innocent people have their data stored, which can be misused for things like profiling or blackmail. The government is also combining this data into large databases, making it even more powerful and dangerous. Catherine emphasizes we need laws to stop police from keeping data about innocent people and protect our privacy while still allowing the technology to be used for real crimes.

These issues hit close to home because they affect everyone—me, my friends, and my family. We all use technology daily, but how often do we think about who is watching or where our information is going? It’s unsettling to know that something as simple as a selfie or driving through town could leave a trail of data for someone to use.

 The government should implement stronger regulations to protect our privacy. This includes limiting how long personal data is stored and ensuring transparency about how surveillance tools are used.  We also have a responsibility to protect ourselves. We have to be mindful of what we share, using privacy settings, and staying informed about how technology works. These are small and simple but important steps we can take.